The 10 best Swedish vineyards to visit this summer

Sweden is likely not the first country that comes to mind when thinking of fine wines; in fact, many are unaware that wine production is even possible in Sweden. But Swedish winemaking has been gaining traction, with local vineyards winning the hearts of sommeliers and casual enjoyers alike. Commercial viniculture was only allowed in Sweden in 1999, but what the industry lacks in decades it more than makes up for in a variety of unique vineyards and wineries around the country. The cool climate of Sweden yields wine with high acidity and leads green grapes to do particularly well, resulting in a plethora of white wines. Sparkling wine has also taken off in Sweden, while rosé and red wines are also produced.

To explore this blooming industry (and try some wonderful wines), a visit to a vineyard is the perfect activity. Wine tastings and tours of the vineyards and wineries are both edifying and delicious, a great way to learn more about winemaking while getting the chance to try a variety of wines. Many vineyards also house stellar restaurants, pairing their wines with inventive dishes, while others serve as the grounds for hotels, making them the perfect destination for a weekend away.

Read on to discover the 10 best vineyards to visit in Sweden.

Although it is one of Sweden’s largest wineries, Arild still manages to preserve both cosiness and conviviality.

The main farmhouse that forms the focal point of the property is one of the oldest in the area, dating back to the 18th century. Its historic charm helped owners Annette and Jonas Ivarsson fall in love with the site during a family holiday there in the 1990s. The pair of entrepreneurs bought the property soon afterwards, embarking on an extensive renovation project before planting the first vines in 2006. By 2010, they had established their own winery.
Today, the vineyard offers a solid wine selection with everything from dry whites to sweet sparkling varieties – all locally produced, of course. Arild also prides itself on its restaurant, where dishes such as rooster in wine and baked cauliflower make use of locally-sourced ingredients.
In addition, there is a hotel with small but well-planned rooms and during the summer months they offer an area for glamping with pre-erected tents in the middle of the vineyard.

It's easy to get the feeling that you’re in Provence when visiting Skepparp in Österlen. The rolling green slopes are home to one of the most aesthetically stunning vineyards in Sweden.

When current owner Bengt Åkesson's grandfather first took on this site, he used it for an orchard. The farm continues to grow apples today, allowing the vineyard to add a bottled yeast cider to their roster of beverages. The vines, meanwhile, consist of Solaris, Rondo and Cabernet Cortis grape varieties, which Skepparp use to produce award-winning wines such as the fresh and fruity Grand Prix Sparkling Brut 2019 and the lightly sweet, berry-driven Skepparps Grand Prix Rosé, Halvtorr 2019.

The vineyard offers special packages for weddings and other celebrations as well as hosting regular wine tastings and large-scale public events, like its summer beverage festivals (for both wine and cider).

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Whether or not you're a wine connoisseur, a stay at Ästad will guarantee you a memorable experience. Located in the stunning Åkulla beech forest nature reserves, this beautiful secluded spot offers organic wines and a nature-inspired ”spa of the senses”. Oh, and there's also their Michelin starred restaurant, Äng.

A short drive from Varberg, until relatively recently the farm at Ästad was focused on producing organic milk. In 2011, the first vines were planted, and the main winery opened three years later. Despire the vineyard’s youth, Ästad produces wines of fantastic quality, with a focus on producing outstanding sparkling wine, which can be experienced via its range of tasting tours and packages.

You can extend the terroir experience with a visit to the Sinnenas Spa on site, which takes inspiration and ingredients from the surrounding vineyards and farmland to present a variety of indoor and outdoor sauna and spa treatments. There's a similar focus on local ingredients at Äng, where many of the dishes use vegetables grown right on the doorstep and animals from the farm next door.

And if all that sounds like a lot to get through, a collection of stylishly-designed rooms and suites (including some with their own private saunas) enable you to really make a trip out of a visit here.

An ambitious vineyard venture which is at the forefront when it comes to high quality wines, Kullabergs wines are award winning and highly coveted, regularly picking up medals from some of the biggest international wine competitions there are.

The vineyard takes its name from the nearby Kullaberg mountain and sits on the eponymous cape that juts out into the Kattegat in southwest Sweden. They credit this marine climate with a mix of sunshine hours, temperature and precipitation that they say makes for "nice mature and aromatic fruit with a fresh acidity."

Using sustainable agricultural methods, Kullabergs produces white, sparkling, rosé and red wines and a dry apple cider, all of which you can taste at their dedicated wine bar Skänken, which is open daily throughout the summer months and serves drinking accompaniments such as a very tasty cheese platter. Wine tours also run throughout the year.

If you can't make it to the site itself, Kullabergs bottles are available online via Systembolaget (the government-run liquor store in Sweden) and stockists in Norway and Japan, as well being served at a number of fine dining restaurants across Sweden.

The origin tale behind this relatively new vineyard is a true love story. The founders Heather and Johan Öberg met in California, were engaged at a romantic vineyard there in Santa Barbara and shortly thereafter got married. In 2014, they moved to Sweden and discovered Thora, a traditional farm on the Bjäre Peninsula in northwest Skåne where they set about realising their dream of founding their own vineyard.

In 2016 they undertook a renovation of the site, which included the building of a small winery, and by 2019 they had planted 13,000 Pinot Noir, Solaris, Pinot Gris, Ortega, and Siegrebe vines. Today, it’s a business in full bloom producing "Swedish premium wines with a local focus and global ambitions."

Professing to "believe in that bond between community and curiosity" and inquisitive drinkers are welcomed with guided tours and wine tastings.

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A stone's throw from the beautiful castle at Sofiero in Helsingborg and surrounded by white fences, horse paddocks, apple trees, honeybees and a splendid culinary garden, the magnificent Lottenlund Estate is a hugely impressive development.

The seed for the idea behind the Estate's winery was planted during a trip to Tuscany. Standing on a balcony looking over vines as far as the eye could see in central Italy, Tina Berthelsen and her partner decided to create their own Tuscan-style winery back home in Sweden — a plan that has now fully come to fruition.

They planted their first vines in 2016 on a traditional farm plot that had lain fallow for the previous decade. Today, they grow some 30,000 vines of Solaris, Muscaris, Cabernet Cortis, Monarch, Souvignier Gris and Donau-Riesling - all of which are tended to and harvested by hand, with no chemical pesticides used.

Visitors can enjoy wine and spirit tasting sessions at Lottenlund, which include tours and optional food.

Beside the forested granite mountain Omberg on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern you’ll find one of the world's most northerly vineyards, the small and carefully built Särtshöga Vineyard.

The first vines were planted here in 2013, and by 2026, Särtshöga plans to be at full capacity, producing 10,000 bottles a year. The focus is on sparkling grape wines, which are produced in accordance with the famous Champagne method and are fermented in a mix of steel tanks and old French oak barrels. They also produce an 'Apple Ice Wine' cider.

Wine tastings and tours are available at various periods between spring and autumn, while the site also offers comfy overnight rooms with cosy interior design and a farm restaurant serving wood fired pizzas.

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Set among charming little cottages in the countryside of Öland, off the southeastern coast of Sweden, Wannborga Vineyard is one of country’s oldest vineyards and one of its first commercial wineries.

Originally an old dairy farm, Wannborga became a vineyard in the early 2000s and has steadily grown to host around 3,800 vines today. The vineyard produces both red and white wines, as well as its own gin and whiskey, which can be found at Systembolaget.

The idyllic site is home to two traditional-style farmhouses as well as a couple of studio apartments which are available as holiday accommodation and they also have bicycles for rent, allowing you to get out and explore the surrounding area, including the nearby beaches.

This magnificent property from the 1880s, dating back to Blekinge’s Danish era, makes Stora Boråkra an ultimate excursion destination.

Staffan and Lil Ottosson planted their first few vines here in 2009 and today have around 4,000 vines growing, most of them producing Solaris grapes.

Regular wine tastings and wine dinners are available (including during the winter) and the vineyard has become known for its collaborative harvest festival in the autumn, where guests are given breakfast and a crash course in how to harvest before being sent out into the vineyard to collect ripened grapes. A hearty lunch is then served before more grape picking in the afternoon ahead of a party and, of course, a celebratory few glasses of wine.

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Located on Sweden’s largest island, Gotland, Langmyre was established by a young Swedish-Italian couple in 2018, and had its first harvest in 2020. It’s a certified organic winery with a down-to-earth focus and where “transparency, passion and craftsmanship” are three of the business' key watchwords.

Langmyre uses grapes developed by innovative Italian vine nursery Vivai Rauscedo that blend traditional varieties with wild ones, with the idea being that this makes them more resistant to disease and more adaptable to the Nordic climate. They use them to produce three white and two red wines, and proudly state that their terroir has characteristics that make it resemble Chablis and Champagne.

You can put that claim to the test on one of Langmyre's winemaking tours, which run throughout the year and are available in Swedish, Italian and English.